1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer systems and, more particularly, to the display of data criteria relating to a database of information.
2. Description of the Related Art
More and more people are using the Internet to search for information in response to a variety of search requests submitted over the “World Wide Web” (the “Web”). For example, one of the popular areas of Internet activity is that of shopping for goods and services. The goods and services that may be purchased over the Internet cover a wide spectrum of industries. Though Web sites are increasingly being designed with convenient access in mind, it is quite often a cumbersome process for users to gather an appropriate collection of offerings that are of interest and to actually make a purchase decision. The process typically involves jumping back and forth among many different Web pages, and even from Web site to Web site.
A Web shopping site for airline travel, for example, may permit a traveler to supply a starting location, destination location, and travel dates from an input screen. The Web site may then locate airline carriers that meet the requirements, and return a list of times, airports, and carriers to the user in another display. The list of information typically is arranged in a column format, with column headings of departure time, arrival time, price, airport, carrier, and so forth. The Web site may collect additional information from the user, such as class of service, fare structure, and the like, from additional input screens, and may list the added information it locates amongst the columns of information displayed for the user. The user is typically given an opportunity to make a flight selection, which takes the user to yet another Web page, where the Web site typically will ask if the user wants to make a flight reservation or purchase. If the user answers affirmatively, the user is typically directed to another Web page or screen, where the requisite information is collected and then processed.
The number of Web site pages that must be viewed to retrieve desired information and effectuate a purchase makes the process cumbersome and can be confusing. Some users may give up in frustration before making a purchase decision. Other commercial Web sites may suffer from similar problems, such as bookstores, clothing, computer retailers, and the like.
From the discussion above, it should be apparent that there is a need for gathering information on offerings of goods and services as selected by shoppers, and then presenting information about the shopping criteria of the shopper in a convenient display for easier comparison shopping, to facilitate purchase decisions. The present invention fulfills this need.